Crash
by firerwolf
Summary: The story of what happened to Commander Palmer after her Pelican was EMPed in Halo 5.
1. Chapter 1

Crash Chapter 1

Flying a Pelican had never been a particular skill of Palmer's. Sure she was certified to fly them but that didn't mean she was great at it. She was more of a boots on the ground sort of soldier, preferring solid ground under her feet. If she had to choose a mode of transportation from a ship to a planet Pelicans were her second choice. Her ideal form of transport was a drop pod, a metal container that they shot out of star ships in orbit providing express transport to wherever things needed to die. So it figures that on a day where she was stuck babysitting a woman she hated while everyone else toppled the remainder of the Covenant she now had to deal with her Pelican which was now falling out of the sky.

Palmer's mind had gone into emergency mode the moment their Pelican had been hit by the emp. All of the electronic controls were dead so she'd have to rely only on what was manual and run by purely physical systems. Sarah was aware that Halsey was saying something but she ignored it, remaining focused on getting them to the ground alive. Unfortunately, Sunion had very little ground to speak of. The city was little more than platforms of buildings on sticks high above a raging sea. That didn't leave her a lot of places to land them as the sea wasn't an option. She'd have to find a place that was flat and long enough that she could land, make sure they didn't land too quickly, but be sure that they didn't slow so much that they lost all of their glide. Certainly not a situation she'd ever run a sim for.

Sarah scanned the area ahead of them, looking for any landing zone that would even be half decent. With the adrenaline in her system the world around her seemed to slow with her heightened senses. There were several possible locations but none of them were large enough for them to be able to slow effectively and insure that the impact wouldn't kill them, or they'd be sent skidding off into the sea. She decided she'd have to do something pretty risky but out of all their options it was the best choice. She angled the Pelican toward a space where there was a small courtyard that was mostly empty, hitting a few of the manual controls to activate flaps on the wings in the hope of creating a bit more drag to slow the vehicle. The vehicle jerked at the sudden decrease in speed and Palmer fought to keep it's nose on target.

"Brace yourself," Sarah ordered as the ground was coming up on them fast. She couldn't slow them enough to make a clean landing but if her plan worked, and with a bit of luck, they'd at least survive. Palmer made sure the Pelican was parallel with the ground as they slammed into the courtyard, skidding forward across the alien metal with a deafening screech. Now that they'd hit the ground Sarah had lost all of her control over the vehicle's direction hoping that she'd gotten the angle right to hit their target. Palmer gritted her teeth as the Pelican shook with a force that seemed like it would tear the vehicle apart. Her eyes were glued to the front windscreen as she watched the hole in the building grow larger as they rushed toward it. The cockpit was swallowed up by the darkness of the building as a loud crash accompanied the wings being torn off their vehicle. The impact caused the skidding hull of the Pelican to shift and angle, smashing the tail of the pelican into the side of the opening.

Palmer's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the structure as she took in the new situation. The wreck was now spinning wildly, coming up on the opposite wall of the building and the fast stop that it promised to deliver. Sarah's automatic response to the danger kicked in and she pulled herself out of her seat and toward the front of the vehicle. She set her feet against one side of the cockpit and grabbed onto the front seat, wrapping herself around the civilian passenger like an extra layer of steel protection. The Pelican slammed into the wall and Palmer absorbed the impact. As a Spartan the high danger moments seemed like they took ten times as long as they actually did. But that also meant that in the wake of danger she could get back to action the moment the danger was passed.

The moment Sarah was sure that the Pelican had come to a full stop she assessed the situation. The vehicle hadn't hit the wall head on, the spin having shifted the impact to the craft's side, spreading the force out across more area. The windshield was spiderwebbed with cracks and there was notable bends to the metal around her. From her position she couldn't be sure of Doctor Halsey's condition but until they were free of the wreckage it wasn't a concern. Palmer didn't note any physical pain and she shifted to figure out what range of motion she had in the now more cramped space. That didn't mean she hadn't suffered any damage, since becoming a Spartan her pain response and threshold had dulled, but it likely meant she at least hadn't been stabbed by any debris. That still hurt like a bastard, Spartan or not.

Palmer was able to shift her arms and feet, setting them against the seat she was protecting, set her back against the glass behind her, and pushed. She registered some resistance form her body, but she pushed past it until finally the weakened barrier popped out of place and was easier to push aside. This gave Palmer the space she needed to be able to reach the mechanical release on the hatch at the base of the window and activate it. The barrier came open, though it only opened half way. It was enough room for Palmer to fully assess their situation so she could decide their next move. The building they'd crashed in was empty, and the power seemed to have been knocked out. Palmer quickly checked Doctor Halsey who was stirring so at least she was alive. She didn't see any outward sign of injury on the elderly woman so, for the moment, Palmer set her mind to what to do next.

She forcefully pushed the hatch a bit further open, allowing Palmer to climb out of the wreckage. The Spartan Commander took stock of the Pelican's condition, disappointed to find that the rear of the craft was too ruined for her to get access to the armory in the Pelican's hull. That meant, for now, she was unarmed. If she got lucky maybe there would be a weapon she could pick up from a soldier fallen from one side or the other. Sarah heard Halsey curse and she moved back to the front of the Pelican, pulling herself up to look in at the woman. "Done sleeping?" Palmer asked as she reached in and helped the woman with the broken buckle of her seat's restraints. It took just one strong yank and the doctor was freed.

"I wasn't sleeping. I was unconscious after your ridiculous stunt." Halsey tried to stubbornly pull herself out of her seat but it was clear to Sarah that she wasn't going to manage it alone. Palmer grabbed her up, hauling her out of the wreck and setting her down on the floor, ignoring the woman's protest.

"We need to get moving before someone finds us," Palmer said, looking around the building to evaluate their options. She started toward the exit that was the closest but stopped when Halsey didn't start following her. "Get moving, Doc. We gotta go before someone unfriendly comes to investigate the wreck."

"I'm more than sixty years old, have one arm, something that is your fault if you remember, and you just nearly killed me with your reckless stunt." Halsey was clearly unsteady, and she looked a bit pale.

Palmer ignored the comment about Halsey's arm being her fault. It wasn't like she cut it off and after all the lives Halsey had spent for her selfish desires Sarah didn't feel like dealing with the obnoxious woman pointlessly arguing. "We are in likely hostile area, with no weapons, and we made a loud entrance. We need to get away from this spot quickly, unless you'd like to find out how plasma burns feel. I can tell you from experience it's not fun."

Halsey scowled but without a word moved to follow Palmer. She'd take a surly and silent Halsey over a loud arguing Halsey any day. Particularly when they were in enemy territory. They exited the building into a hallway that stretched out, likely far enough that it connected to another building or even another of the platforms. Palmer lead them forward at a slow pace. Not just for caution, as she needed to pay attention to what was ahead, but also what was behind, but because Halsey would never be able to keep up with the speed Palmer would prefer to go at.

They had traveled for only a short time before there was a familiar, high pitched sound. Palmer held up her hand for the doctor to stop. She searched around and spotted a set of metal weapon racks that were up against the wall. They were empty, likely cleaned out by Covenant racing to arm themselves against the invading Swords of Sanghielios. Palmer pushed Halsey over and pointed at the space between the racks. "Hide," Sarah whispered. Thankfully the doctor didn't fight, allowing Palmer to deal with the situation.

Sarah moved down the hallway, listening intently, using all her heightened senses to gather as much information as she could before she would have to face her enemies. Now that she was moving and the adrenaline of the crash was fading Palmer was sure she hadn't walked away without complications which would be a problem in her unarmed state. Her hip was starting to ache as she moved but she had to set that pain aside. Now that she was getting closer, she was sure the sound she'd heard was the voices of Kig Yar. Their high-pitched squawks were unmistakable and she was certain that there was more than one. If she'd had her helmet on it would have translated for her but without it they might as well be speaking in tongues. But she knew an argument when she heard it in any language. To her benefit that meant they might not be on the highest of alert. Sarah moved behind one of the columns, confident she was far enough away from Halsey that there's be no danger and she could work.

Sarah remained as still as she could, listening intently to the sounds of the approaching foes. They were muttering something to each in sharp tones. Probably complaining about how they'd gotten their ass kicked by the Arbiter. She waited patiently as the steps approached and passed before she moved forward. When Palmer stepped out into the center of the hallway she was happy to find that the three Jackals were too distracted to notice the ton of armored Spartan behind them. She reached out and clamped her hand around the closest alien's beak, keeping it quiet. She stepped back into her cover and with a swift twist snapped the foe's neck.

There was a squawk from the other two Jackals but she was certain that they hadn't seen her. Palmer quickly removed the portable shield from the Jackal's wrist and attached it to her own. She took a deep breath and put her plan into action. If she was lucky her opponents would be as beat up as she was from the crash. She stepped out into the hallway, activated the shield on her left wrist before she charged. The Jackals were so caught off guard that the closest Jackal didn't have a chance to react before she slammed into it. They both fell to the ground and Sarah rolled over the enemy, using the pure weight of her armor do the damage. As soon as she was on her feet she raised the shield to put it between her and the enemy still on its feet. At this point the final Jackal had recovered, activated its own shield, and readied its weapon. Sarah raised her shield to protect her unarmored head as she moved over and crouched down. Her hand clamped over the throat of the stunned Jackal on the ground and with one forceful squeeze she crushed the alien's throat. The remaining Jackal cried out in anger and Sarah couldn't help but smile as it was about to be more upset. She moved forward, keeping her grip on the dead body. Her shield collided with the Jackal's shield and as she had more strength and weight it set the alien off balance. It gave her just the opening she needed to swing the dead Jackal at it's friend, forcing it off it's feet. As soon as it was off its feet Sarah stepped forward and with one forceful stomp brought her boot down, caving in the avian creature's chest.

Palmer let herself have a moment to breath with the threat gone, an action she immediately regretted. The ache of her injuries returned and she tried to force it back away. She removed the energy shield from one of the fallen Jackals and picked up its plasma pistol before she returned to where she'd had Halsey hide.

"We're clear," Palmer said as she attached the energy shield she'd taken onto her other wrist. It wasn't as good as her armor's shields but from the fact that her shield had not activated when she'd impacted the Kig Yar she knew they weren't working. Why? She had no idea. What she did know was that the portable shields would give her some cover which was better than none. "We need to move though. Dead bodies often put people on their toes." Palmer turned and, now armed, moved down the hallway with a little less caution and more urgency. There were armed enemies here and the longer they were in unsafe space the more she risked something happening to Halsey. She may not like the woman but it was her job to keep her alive. She always got the shit jobs.


	2. Chapter 2

Crash Chapter 2

There was something particularly awful about the smell of flesh burned by plasma. Palmer wasn't new to the smell but even after so many years of being around the battlefield she still found that plasma burns left a more biting scent. Sunion stank of flesh burned by plasma. Sarah's nose scrunched up as she passed the body of a sangheili that had clearly been hit but a Phantom's turret from the extent of the burns. She took a moment to try to tell what color the alien's gear was under the burns but it was too charred to see anything other than black. The courtyard was littered with bodies just like it.

Sarah and Halsey had made it down the hallway to this courtyard, pausing here only so Palmer could search for any hint at which way to go from here. So far she'd come up with nothing. There were no working weapons, just a few broken carbines and some drained plasma rifles. Not even a grenade for her. Halsey was standing close to a wrecked wraith as Palmer had told her to stay out of the open. There was no clear sign even of which side had won this particular fight. Back during the war it was easy to tell who was winning and which way to find them. But back then the bodies weren't all of the same species. If she couldn't find any clue as to which way to go they'd just have to pick a random direction and hope that it lead them to the Swords.

The calm noise of the waves below and the few still burning fires was drowned out as a loud cry of pain echoed from somewhere nearby. Sarah had blasted enough Sangheili at close range to know what one sounded like when it was being injured. "Come on," Sarah ordered sharply, as she motioned for Halsey to follow her.

"You're not going toward that, are you?" the doctor asked in disbelief.

"Yes, _we_ are," Palmer informed her. "Either that's the Swords of Sangheilios finishing off their enemies and we're saved or that's some bastards harming the only person who can tell us which way to evac." Palmer didn't wait for the doctor to respond before she moved toward the directions of the cry.

Palmer moved into the domed structure cautious not to make too much noise as she entered. There was a small entry way with ramps up to a second floor to either side and a large arc way ahead of her that lead into a large round room. It wasn't hard to spot the four Sangheili that were in the center of the room. Two Sangheili in blue armor watched passively as a third blue armored sangheili pinned down a Sangheili in red armor. It seems that Palmer wasn't going to get an easy win today. The two passive Sangehili had plasma rifles at their hip and the third was holding an energy sword that it was slowly pushing into it's pinned enemy's side.

Sarah considered her options for a second before she took a step back and motioned to Halsey for her to go up the ramp. The ramp led up to a ten foot wide platform that ran along the walls of the building about half way from the ceiling. The walls were lined with weapons stands bearing the ceremonial spears of the old Covenant honor guards and statues of the now shameful ranked Sangheilis. Sarah moved along the upper ring until she was sure that the enemy alien's backs were to her.

Palmer eyed the distance between her and her three foes below. She had the high ground but her only weapon was the most useless at this range. After a quick glance around she formed a plan. Well, plan was too strong of a word. She had an idea and she'd have to wing it from there. She didn't have the time to waste or they'd kill the Sangheili they were torturing. Palmer raised her plasma pistol and held down the trigger, overcharging her shot. The large bolt of green plasma shot forth, hitting the sangheili that was digging his blade into the helpless captive. The light washed over him but Palmer was sure she saw the distinct discharge of his shield. With her foe now vulnerable she reached back to the weapon rack against the wall and tugging loose one of the two pronged spears. She shifted it in her hand so she held it like a javelin and launched the weapon forward. The unshielded Sangheili turned just in time to catch the spear in the chest. Sarah had to admit she was proud of how it had pierced the alien's armor.

The speared alien fell back, on top of the Sword Sangheili. For now Sarah wasn't concerned with if he was alive or dead. She had to take advantage of the surprise to get the drop on the other two enemies before they could kill her. Sarah jumped down to the lower floor, clicking on the shield attached to her left wrist as she landed. The Sangheili were pulling out their plasma pistols which gave her a moment to try to retrieve her weapon. She grabbed the spear and tried to tug it loose but only jerked the corpse slightly. Palmer cursed and changed her plan quickly, jerking on the spear again, this time more with the goal of moving him off of the friendly alien. Once she was sure it was far enough to the side she set her foot on the corps's chest and started to tug. She shifted her shield to deflect the shots from the Sangheili on her left who had his weapon ready. She wasn't sure why the other hadn't fired but she'd just count herself lucky as she couldn't block both directions.

Finally the spear came free and she readjusted the pole of the spear in her hand to a more traditional grip. The firing Sangheili paused in his shots for only a moment, growling low as he no doubt waited for his weapon to cool down. That's the part that had made Palmer always hate the alien tech. She wasn't known for her patience and slapping in a new clip of rounds was faster. Sarah moved toward the Sangheili her nerves steeled and all doubt drowned out by her battle instincts. Sarah swung the spear toward the foe but he stepped back out of range of the weapon. She continued the swing in a large circle and as it was coming back down with more force and speed she took a quick step forward getting her the tiny amount closer she needed for the spear to make contact with the sangheili's ankle. The sharp tip sliced along the creature's flesh and its leg failed for just a second, causing it to fall to its knees. That left her foe unable to get away as the next rotation of her weapon to strike it in the head, laying him out flat and sending his weapon skidding across the ground. Sarah stopped swinging the spear, shifted her spear baring arm to her side, and tossed up the spear a few inches, allowing her to quickly regrip the pole so she could stab her downed enemy.

She was stopped as the third Sangheili finally stepped into the fight, grabbing her from behind, wrapping one arm around her neck and another around her weapon arm at the shoulder. Sarah angled her wrist to point the tips of her spear behind her and slightly down before she stabbed backward with as much as she could. The points found some soft flesh and the Sangheili bowled and let go of her. Sarah grilled the rod of the spear with both hands and spun around, slamming the blunt part of the weapon against her attacker's head, knocking him down. Before he had a chance to recover she stepped close enough to drive the spear down into the opponent's chest.

She hear the remaining sangheili's roar and turned as his weight slammed into her. Sarah fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of her as the alien's weight slammed into her stomach. He raised his plasma rifle and aimed it in Palmer's face. She grabbed his wrist with her arm and quickly jerked it down. She heard the rifle go off before she registered the feeling of heat against her torso. There was no pain at the moment with her blood pounding from the fight but she couldn't risk him getting another shot. Sarah's other hand moved up to the sangheili's face and she jabbed her thumb into the enemy's eye. He rolled off of her in an attempt to get away from the attack it that left her now free to move.

Life or death was a hell of a motivator as her old drill Sargent would have said. As a Spartan it was an even better motivator. She rolled herself over to pin the Sangheili down and started to slam her fist into the foe's skull. It was messy and less than ideal but with her life on the line she wasn't above beating her foe to death. Her first hit left him at her mercy and although he tried to fight back her enemy was at a disadvantage and couldn't stop her assault. She slammed away at the sangheili until his arms went limp and she heard something crack. Confident that he wouldn't be getting back up Palmer forced herself to stand and step away from her victims. Her shoulders ached, her fist was sore from the repetitive strikes, and she could now feel the burns under her armor and could see the scorch marks on her chest plate.

Palmer moved over to the Sword of Sangheilios that was still lying on the ground but had propped himself up. "Can it be?" the Sangheili muttered to himself as he watched Palmer approach. "In this, my time of need, the ancestors have seen fit to sent to send me a vision of true glory and honor so that I may die seeing the true face of a warrior."

Sarah wasn't sure what to make of the Sangheili's words. She knew they were prone to poetic words at times but she wasn't a fan of poetry so her understanding of their proclamations was hit and miss. "You aren't gonna die," she asserted, as she reached him. "You know which way the to the Sword's evac point?"

"Yes, you need only head out that doorway and continue in that direction. They are meeting in central courtyards. You will not be able to miss them though I cannot guarantee that their will be no remining traitors between here and there but it is not far away."

"Finally, a break," Sarah whispered to herself as she let out a breath. "Can you stand?" She held her hand out to the alien on the ground to help him up.

"Leave me," the Sangheili demanded, trying to wave her off. "I am injured and will only slow you down. I will not allow my failing to hinder a great warrior like you. A glorious warrior should not sully themselves with the troubles of the unworthy. The only worse dishonor I could bare beside loosing to these blind fools is to cause injury or death to a warrior of your stature."

Palmer wasn't sure how much of the Sangheili's words were self pity and how much was genuine reverence for her. "What's you're name?" she asked.

"Vel 'Trokaik," the Sangheili responded.

"Well, Vel, I can assure you that you are far from what would slow me down," Sarah informed him. She looked over as Doctor Halsey appeared at the bottom of the ramp and moved toward them. "I could cut off both your arms and one of your legs and you'd still be less of a burden on me than her."

"Very funny," Halsey sniped with a scowl on her face. "That was not a very well thought out plan."

"It wasn't a plan," Palmer shot back before she turned back to Vel. "In fact, you would be a big help. If we meet any more things I need to kill then you can keep her from tripping on a rock and dying."

"I'm not completely incapable of staying alive," Halsey asserted.

Palmer promptly ignored her comment and stayed focused on the Sangheili, continuing to hold her hand out. "Now we should get going before the Arbiter decides to leave without us."

Vel paused for a moment before taking her hand and letting her help him to his feet. Palmer hated to admit the shot of pain that went through her body as she yanked the Sangheili to his feet. "Maybe, for me, assisting a true master of combat such as yourself could redeem me form my failings. What I know for sure is that The Arbiter would be a fool to leave behind a warrior of your stature and skill, and he is no fool."

"I hope you're right. It would be a long walk back to his Keep." Sarah commented.

Vel moved over to the body of the Sangheili who had been injuring him. He picked up the hilt of the energy blade that had fallen to the floor. After quickly checking it over for damage he held it out to Palmer. "It would be useless in my hands, particularly in my condition. It is a weapon of honor which belongs in the skilled hands of one such as yourself."

Sarah accepted the weapon, attaching it to her thigh armor, before she moved over to Halsey and passed her the Plasma pistol. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Halsey asked.

"Shoot anything if it gets past me and Vel," Palmer told her with a slight shake of her head. Vel had moved over to the other fallen Sangheili to check their plasma rifles. "We need to get moving, now."

Vel nodded, tossing one of the rifles aside but keeping the other. "It's low on charge but the other has none," he informed her. At least Palmer now knew why the other Sangheili hadn't fired at her. "I will protect your charge with every ounce of strength in my body and every bit of my life," he declared to Palmer.

Sarah paused, unsure how to politely respond so instead she just nodded before heading toward the exit he'd indicated. Her joints were hurting and as time passed, she became more aware of the compiling strain on her body and that there were injuries that, for now, her body was ignoring due to her augmentations. Musa had always warned them they'd need to be conscious of not pushing themselves too much as they would likely not realize lower end injuries. As Palmer walked and she felt her muscles protest every move she knew that she was running low on reserves. They needed to get to evac before something else found them and she wasn't able to win.


	3. Chapter 3

Crash Chapter 3

As an ODST Sarah had learned to assume that Murphy's law was the only constant in the universe. Will your warthog break down when you are on a tight schedule? It will. If you let even one grunt get past you will it find allies and bring them down on your head? Without a doubt. Are you low on ammo and you've been informed evac is on the way? You better have had your will updated because you're about to have a new battalion of foes arrive with heavy artillery. And if you were stranded and trying to make your way to your allies evac with a civilian and an injured Sangheili in toe then of course that's not going to be the end of it. Which was why Palmer was now drenched by rain.

They'd spotted a few of the Phantoms that were arriving to airlift out the victorious forces which gave her hope that they were close enough to make it. She'd never missed her stiff cot and scratchy wool blanket on the _Infinity_ so much. She swore that the moment she set foot back on the ship she'd put in for some r&r on the next planet they spent more than a day orbiting. Maybe she'd even convince Captain Lasky to join her for some time away from the ship. At least that way even if there wasn't anything fun to do at least there'd be someone fun to do.

As they moved up a flight of stairs she could see the top of a Linch just peeking past a wall that was ahead of them. At least that meant that the Arbiter's troops hadn't left yet. It would have been the most relieving sight she'd seen all day if it weren't for what was standing below it. In the circular courtyard ahead of them were two Hunters. Because of course there were two hunters between her and putting this frustrating day behind her. She scanned the circular room quickly, looking for any alternative path that would allow them to avoid the lumbering tanks. She saw nothing but smooth walls, a few disorganized boxes, and a few broken generators. That didn't leave her with many options to get past the monstrous aliens.

She motioned to Vel and Halsey to get low to avoid the attention of the Hunters as long as they could. "The Swords wouldn't happen to have brought some Mgalekgolo to this fight, would they?" She already knew the answer but it didn't hurt to ask.

"No," Vel confirmed in a low whisper. "And if they had they would be in red armor of the Swords of Sangheilios. These are not friends."

"So no piggyback rides to the evac," Sarah concluded. Vel cocked his head to the side slightly in what she assumed was confusion but Palmer waved it off. She'd love to take the time to explain the joke to an alien, it would be an excuse to put off what she knew was her best option for dealing with the Hunters. "Both of you need to stay low and keep quiet. I'm going to draw them away."

"As you order, Commander," Vel said as he bowed his head to her.

The Mgalekgolo's backs were to her position so Palmer chanced creeping forward, trying to stay close to the wall in hopes that distance would delay her being noticed. She spotted an archway that lead to a bridge and a separate building and eased her way closer to it until she was behind a stack of emptied ammo crates. Palmer gave herself a second to ready for whatever might come. She strengthened her stance and slammed her shoulder against one of the crates. The sound of MIJOLNIR armor hitting the metal box cut through the sound of the rain, causing the two aliens to turn toward where Palmer was hiding. Despite every instinct in her telling her to stay hidden from the danger Palmer forced herself to stand so that she could be seen. One of the Hunter's let out a roar and they both brought their shield up and their guns to bare on her.

Palmer saw the plasma cannons glowing green and she dove to the side. Something she immediately regretted as her shoulder hurt from the impact and her back ached as she rolled. The spot where she'd been standing burned in a burst of plasma but the close call spurred her natural combat instincts. She turned toward the exit she'd chosen and took off at a brisk jog. The loud thud of the heavy armored worm-creatures beat a steady rhythm as they gave chase.

Palmer crossed the bridge and entered the building, stopping to quickly look around and decide what her options were. "Fucking Murphy," she growled out as she realized that the structure she was in was clearly a storage area as there was nothing but open space. What made things worse was the only door she could see had clearly been warped by some sort of damage, rendering it useless. Palmer turned and was faced with the Mgalekgolos blocking her path. They were both hunched over to protect themselves as they seemed to be taking in the situation as well. One of the Hunters moved forward while the other hung back. It was somehow insulting, yet undeniable, that the pair thought only one was needed to kill her. She wasn't really going to complain. She'd prefer to face one killer tank alien rather than two.

The closer of the Hunters eased its way closer to Palmer, as though expecting her to have lured it into a trap. Palmer considered her options to try to deal with the threat and the best option she had was also the most risky and stupid idea she'd had all day. But the situation was bad enough she'd have to take that risk. She slowly stepped closer to the hunter, waiting and watching for its reaction as she neared it. She needed to provoke the right reaction for her plan to be possible. The creature seemed to consider her cautiously, as though the concept of an unarmed creature daring to move toward it when it was ready to kill was pure stupidity. Palmer couldn't really argue with that assessment.

The Mgalekgolo finally made its move and threw itself forward as it charged. It drew its shielded arm back to swing it like a bat at Palmer using its forward momentum to try to cut her down. For once she was catching a break. The Spartans had little game they liked to play in the training sims called Lekgolo Limbo, and Palmer was a champion competitor. She charged toward the foe and let her instincts take control as she neared the creature. It swung its arm at her and Palmer dropped, sliding across the ground as she had under the simulated shields dozens of times. The thick metal passed over her head as her forward momentum combined with the Hunter's momentum caused them to pass each other. Palmer put her hand on the ground to stop herself once she was behind the Mgalekgolo and used it as a pivot point to turn herself so she was now facing its back. Before it could turn and face her palmer set her foot on its thigh armor and used it as a step up so she could grab onto it's back spikes and clamber onto it's back.

The Mgelekgolo roared in anger and tried to shaker her off but she kept a firm grip on the metal, using the lower spikes to give herself a more steady foothold. From somewhere behind her Palmer heard the second Hunter roar but for now Palmer ignored it. She was betting on its reluctance to harm its other half to keep her safe from it for now and allow her to take care of her current problem. Palmer waited for a momentary pause in the walking tank's movements and shifted her grip to the neck hole of the Hunter's chest plate. She then grabbed the energy sword from her hip and shoved her arm into the mass of worms that made up the Mgelekgolo's torso. She could feel the individual worms try to wrap around her arm and pull the hilt from her hand but she held tight. As soon as she was elbow deep in the slithering mass Sarah activated the blade. The Mgelekgolo screamed and thrashed as the blade of plasma cut through it. Palmer rotated her wrist to shred as many of the orange worms as she could before she finally yanked her arm free. The final worms killed by the blade's retraction were enough to force the mass to go limp as it died.

Palmer's was thrown from the corpse as it slumped to the ground and her will to hold onto the smooth armor with the threat taken care of. Her moment of relief that her plan had worked was shattered by the furious roar of the still living Mgelekgolo. Sarah turned to the remaining threat and for the first time that day she had no idea what to do. Whether exhaustion or a complete lack of options she didn't see a way to deal with the situation. Her body ached and she realized that she was unarmed. She hadn't even realized that the sword had slipped from her blood coated hand when she'd fallen. The angered monstrosity charged toward Palmer raising its shield arm as it neared her. Sarah rolled to the side just barely in time to prevent the shied from slamming into her. Instead the hunk of metal clammed down like a cleaver, slamming into a crate of fusion cells. Fire erupted out from the impact and Palmer turned away but could feel something hot collide with her face. She swatted the heated chunk of metal from her face as she involuntarily let out a cry of pain.

Palmer's world spun as her body struggled for a moment to fully adjust to the effects of the blast. Her vision snapped back as she focused and she found that her foe was towering over her. She had to admit that she really didn't expect this to be her end. Drenched on an alien planet, killed by a hunter she'd lured away to protect a species that had at one point been out to kill all humans and a woman who had been the bane of her existence for more than a year. Certainly not an end that she saw coming. The Mgelekgolo raised its arm again and everything seemed to freeze to Sarah. Every choice and regret she had fought for her attention but Sarah was damned if that was going to be the last thing she thought of. She focused her mind instead on her Spartans and on Tom. If she was going to die her wanted her last thoughts to be of the things that she cared about rather than annoyingly trying to figure out how Halsey was going to get back to _Infinity_ or who going to be sure Osiris got back to the UNSC.

Palmer's thoughts were cut short as the Hunter jerked to the side and stumbled, it's action interrupted by something. The tank-like-alien turned and Palmer caught sight of golden armor and a quick striking orange light. The Mgelekgolo roared in pain as the Prophet's Bane cut through it's exposed side. With an active threat now present Palmer was left forgotten on the ground as the Arbiter engaged it. The monster raised its gun and fired but it was easy for the Sangheili to dash to the side and avoid it. He struck out again, this time the specialized energy blade cutting at the worms below the Hunter's helmet. It stumbled back and the Sangheili warrior took his chance, striking out at the now exposed stomach of the enemy. His blade cut right through it's entire midsection and the armor seemed to fall apart as the Mgelekgolo died.

With the threat now gone the Arbiter turned his attention to Palmer as she started to force herself to her feet. "Vel informed me that you'd gone this way," he explained.

"Remind me when we get back to your camp to get him the strongest of whatever your equivalent of alcohol is." Sarah tried to stand tall, not willing to look weak in front of the Sangheili leadership.

"First we must make it to our camp," the Arbiter said, motioning for her to follow him. "On the way there you can explain to me what alcohol is."


	4. Chapter 4

Crash Chapter 4

There was a certain wall that even Spartans hit when they were tired that meant they just didn't have anything left to give. Palmer didn't have a lot of experience with that wall, particularly since becoming a Spartan Commander, but she was at that point now. At the moment she was trying to avoid giving in to the desire to lean against a wall for a moment of relief as she knew she'd not be able to move away from whatever she used for support. Damn her pride but she didn't want to struggle to stand up without support in front of a Phantom full of Sangheili. So she'd just have to avoid moving to much to prevent her exhaustion from getting the better of her.

"Today we are victorious," a voice said, causing Sarah to look over her shoulder. The Arbiter moved to stand beside her. "I expect that your soldiers were successful in making their way onto the Guardian."

"I made sure they were," Sarah informed him. "Might have cost me our Pelican but sacrifices have to be made sometimes."

"As long as what's sacrificed is worth what you may receive in return," The Arbiter qualified. "Is your sacrifice worth it?"

"Four of the most skilled and powerful Spartans in human history, including a war hero…And maybe some understanding of what's going on with these Guardians? That all is worth a dozen Pelicans and a handful of Longswords. " Palmer shifted her weight a little to try to ease the pain in her hip.

"You humans have odd measurements," The Arbiter commented with a light chuckle. "I suppose that a vehicle is a small price to pay to try to retrieve good soldiers. Having fought along side the Master Chief I can see him be worth a fairly large number of Phantoms."

"And he isn't even the best of them," Palmer said with a smirk.

"It is a pity then that they were not there to join us on the Ark. They would have been very helpful," The Arbiter mused.

"You should be thankful they weren't there. If they'd been around you wouldn't have any war stories to tell so the other Kiadons would back you." Sarah crossed her arms a bit awkwardly over her ruined chest plate. "You would have been bored out of your mind."

"Speaking of war stories, Vel informed me of your actions in the field," The Sangheili leader let out a low rumble that Sarah identified as a sign of approval. "It is a disappointment."

"What is?" Sarah asked, not wanting to give her mind a chance to come up with it's own interpretation. Her mind was inclined to think the worst, particularly when tired.

"It's a disappointment that you had to spend the assault protecting…"The Arbiter glanced over his shoulder to where Palmer knew Halsey was absorbed into a data-pad of data gathered about the Guardian's awakening. "You would have done well on the front lines of the assault with my team. I would have enjoyed having you join me on the battlefield. I've seen you in combat but would have liked having you fight along side my soldiers and I. It would have made our victory today all the more glorious. And it would have made our foes feel all the more shame as they have a particular distance for our alliance with humanity."

"I honestly would have preferred to be in the fight," Sarah admitted. "I'm not partial to these escort duties but the Doctor is a valued asset to the UNSC. Not to mention I feel like I'm the only human that is willing to treat her as the danger she is. People tend to think she's harmless because of her age but she's smart and has no loyalties."

"A person with no loyalties is not to be trusted," The Arbiter agreed. "Though I've had more of a problem not being sure if someone who says that they're with me are actually with me."

"That level of politics is above my paygrade, thankfully." Politics and governing were two things that Palmer hated. Too much double speak, false promises, and vague wording. It was all a game of chess and if there was one thing that she'd learned since she met Lasky it was that she was shit at chess. "I may not get to take part in the main fighting much anymore but at least I don't have to deal with treaties and deals with other governments."

"A factor of your species that still strikes me as confusing," The Arbiter shook his head and huffed dismissively. "The higher the rank of soldier I deal with the longer it's been since they have been in combat."

Palmer shrugged slightly in response, being careful not to move her shoulder enough to hurt too much. "Taking the rank of Commander took me out of the field, though I try to get out there as often as I can. I hate escorting civilians like the Doctor but being here gave me the chance to help my soldiers. Because I was here in the field I was able to be sure that Osiris made it onto the Guardian. When I'm on _Infinity_ it feels like all I'm doing is sending soldiers to die while I sit safe on the bridge."

"If you would rather be in the field then why take a position that takes you out of combat?" The Sangheili leader asked.

"For the same reason why you're currently leading your entire species. Sometimes the things that are most important to us ask us to step up and lead. It just happens to mean for me that that means sacrificing being on the ground during operations. But I'm dedicated to the Spartans so when they asked me to lead how could I say no?"

"When they made me Arbiter it was a burden of shame but when the Prophets betrayed us I found my people turning to me to lead them. Before the Covenant Arbiter was the rank of the Kiadon that lead all Kiadons. When the great schism happened it felt more like I just happened to have the rank so the duty fell to me as my people tried to remember who they are."

"That all happened years ago," Palmer pointed out. "If they didn't think the rank was being held but the right leader then you would have already been killed and replaced by now. Instead they're lining up behind you so you must be the leader they need."

"And if they have yet to take you from your position then they must be satisfied with how well you have handled your role," The Arbiter reasoned. "Your worth as a leader must be worth taking you out of the field."

"Unless I'm just worse in the field then I'm aware," Palmer joked.

"If what Vel told me is true then I am sure that you are a great loss for the UNSC to not have on the front lines. What I've seen of you in combat has already been impressive enough to make you a warrior that would be missed in combat but considering your condition and actions today you have more value than I knew." The Arbiter moved forward slightly as the Phantom began to slow and the tents and collections of crates that made up the Swords of Sangheilios's main camp. "Well, this moment of calm has come to an end. I have things that I must get in order. Do feel free to join my troops in celebrating the days victory."

"Maybe I will," Sarah told him, silently dreading having to move again. "First I'll have to take stock of how bad the damage to my armor is. Though, if you need my help with anything don't hesitate to ask. I've got a team…somewhere, and the ship carrying the rest of my soldiers is somewhere else, and I'm here."

The Arbiter nodded his head at her request. "I will see if there is anyway you can assist. I'll send for you if I have something you can assist with." The Phantom lowered and the Sangheili leader stepped off of the vehicle.

Palmer watched the rest of the Sangheili started to depart. "Doctor," she called to get the civilian's attention. "Time to get moving." Halsey scowled but she put away her tablet and followed Palmer. Sarah just hoped that she'd be able to find herself as engrossed as Halsey was in the Guardian data.


End file.
